Florida Department of CorrectionsJulie L. Jones, Secretary

Batterer Intervention Programs

The following questions were designed to determine if the public knew about the Batterer's Intervention Programs before they participated in the survey. Men charged with domestic abuse can be ordered to attend Batterer's Intervention Programs where they can be taught to "unlearn" violence and avoid committing further acts of abuse.

Question 22
Were you aware of the existence of the Batterer's Intervention Programs before taking this survey?

Aware of
Programs

Respondents

Number

Percent

Yes

203

40.6%

No

297

59.4%

Total

500

100.0%

*Cases Not Applicable=2

Only 40.6% of Floridians are aware of the Batterer's Intervention Programs.

Question 23
Do you know any men who are involved in a Batterer's Intervention Program?

Know Men
Involved in BIP's

Respondents

Number

Percent

Yes

39

7.8%

No

163

32.5%

Don't know

300

59.7%

Total

502

100.0%

Only 7.8% of the respondents know of a man involved in one of the programs.

Question 24
Do you think it should be mandatory for all men charged with domestic violence to be required to attend Batterer's Intervention Programs?

Should Programs
be Mandatory?

Respondents

Number

Percent

Yes

180

91.8%

No

16

8.2%

Total

196

100.0%

*Cases Not Applicable=306

Over 9 in 10 (91.8%) believe that it should be mandatory for all men charged with domestic violence to be required to attend Batterer's Intervention Programs.

Question 25
Is there anything else you would like to say on the subject of domestic violence?

Educate the women and get their self-esteem up so that they won't be afraid to leave these men.

Men should have a lot of rights taken away for abuse, more punishment for abusers.

Tax dollars should not be increased, but taken from sources less needed. Encourage personal responsibility.

More parents have to talk to their children and make them understand that hitting and violence are wrong.

Restraining orders do not work, they are never enforced.

Alcohol is the primary problem.

Need more programs to help both victim and batterer.

DUI programs work, so batterer's programs can work as well.

Current laws just include physical abuse, but they should be expanded to include mental/emotional abuse.

It is a social thing. Start with the children, parents should be active in educating.

A cop should not guess if violence occurred, there should be physical evidence for an arrest to happen.

It is not always the woman who gets beat up. I know because I have been there.

I have never taken a survey over the phone before, and was pleased that they take this matter serious enough for a survey.

Television and movies are not helping the situation.

Numbers available (to call) are not easy to find, not in the yellow pages.